Former Marana prison is set to reopen as ICE detention center
Former Marana prison is set to reopen as ICE detention center.
A private prison management company is preparing to reopen a local correctional facility as an immigration detention center.
According to Management and Training Corporation, the company signed a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to operate the former Marana prison.
The facility, which has been operated by Management and Training Corporation for nearly 30 years, previously operated under a contract with the Arizona Department of Corrections.
The company says the facility has about 800 beds and plans to employ about 330 people once it is fully staffed.
The Town of Marana addressed the reopening, stating that the property is appropriately zoned under existing land-use regulations and has operated as a correctional facility for decades.
Because of this, town officials said they do not have authority over whether the facility operates as a prison or an ICE detention center.
Local residents expressed mixed reactions to the plans.